Uptime monitors like https://www.pingdom.com https://www.pingdom.com let you form your own requests to test if your api or w/e is still running. Your friend's

Uptime monitors like https://www.pingdom.com https://www.pingdom.com let you form your own requests to test if your api or w/e is still running. Your friend's company could also find or create ways to incorporate the app into employees' workflows so there's some sustained, mutual dependence on it that keeps it on track. Sometimes called "dogfooding": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_your_own_dog_food https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_your_own_dog_food